High Hopes
by lalalala1
Summary: My name is Trin. I've always wanted to be a trainer, and tomorrow's the day I leave on my journey! Things have changed, and I'm allowed to become one the day after my 10th birthday. My sister's going to be coming with me, and I'm nervous. She did make it into the Semifinals of the Hoenn League 5 years ago, after all! I'm hopeless if she's going to be in the Sinnoh League, too!
1. Prologue: Farewell to Hearth

Hello, its lalalala1 now becoming a writer mainly for Pokémon! This is my 3rd story and my 2nd for Pokémon, and if you are a fan of Pokémon, you MAY want to check out my other Pokémon story, "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Days of Darkness". It's kind of bad, but you'll be seeing an improvement in quality (at least I hope) in chapters after the Special Episode: "Condemned to Fate". SADLY, this is a FAR from original story, but hopefully the plot execution will be good enough for that to be forgiven…

To Boa: From what I've seen of you, you seem like a fangirl, so… Hopefully you enjoy this generic trainer's journey story…

Line

"Come on, Trin!" I heard Julie shout from upstairs.

"Coming!" I called back.

My name is Trin. I want to be a Pokémon Trainer to follow in my sister Julie's footsteps. I have black pupils, brown in the circle surrounding my pupils, short, black, spiky hair, and tan skin. I was short for my age. My sister has the same eyes, same skin, same hair color, but her hair was long and her favorite style is the Ponytatail. She's 18, and I'm 10…

My sister was helping me prepare for my journey… Today was my birthday, and I would be leaving on a journey tomorrow from our home, Twinleaf Town, to compete in the Sinnoh League, with my sister also competing… How did I feel about this? Well, hopeless to be honest. My sister made it to the Semifinals in the Hoenn League back when we lived there. I wish we had stayed in Hoenn, along with all my friends, but we had all moved to the different regions of Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos but one who stayed in Hoenn. I watched all her League battles, and she's amazing! How could I stand a chance against her? She's really nice, she's been helping me study ever since I started going to school to prepare to be a Trainer (I signed up for the Trainer courses in a heartbeat, much to my mom's dismay), and she's been taking care of me ever since our parents died 5 years ago when we moved here from an illness (Yes, she can cook). She took a "break" from competing in any Leagues, but she's decided to start again with the Sinnoh League with a goal of beating a Champion to redeem herself. Me? My sister inspired me to be a trainer, but I don't really have any goals like that. I'm just... being a trainer.

I went up the brown, wooden stairs at a leisurely pace, and then turned left to take a linear path to my room, right next to my sister's. I stepped through the doorway to find my sister holding up 2 sets of clothes, a jacket, and a wooden drawer opened.

"All right, so would you prefer these," my sister asked me, using her head to gesture to the clothes she was holding, "or those?" this time jerking her head to the clothes in the open drawer. I pointed to the clothes she was holding.

"Mkay, these are all the clothes you'll need since there's a laundry system at every Pokémon center," she informed me.

"That reminds me, have you decided on what Pokémon you're going to choose?" she asked. I froze, petrified. I gulped.

"No," I sighed. Well, you couldn't really blame me, now could you? The starter choice is actually the #1 hardest decision to make in the world, according to surveys.

"I honestly just chose when I got there, with no planning ahead," she stated. Those words made me feel a bit more at ease. After we finished packing my stuff (she was already done), it was still only 10:00AM, and we had already eaten breakfast. My sister glanced at the clock and said,

"It's still a few hours until lunch, ready to go over the type table?" She smiled mischievously. I groaned with my head tilted back.

Line

The next morning, my sister got up DANG early with her backpack slung over her shoulders. It was only 8:00AM! She woke me up, and we went downstairs.

"Ready to leave?" she asked. I turned around and took one last glance at the house. It was really plain. Wooden floors, white, dry walls, and some wooden furniture here and there, with a granite countertop in the kitchen. I felt a little sad knowing that this would be the last time I'd be seeing this place in… a while. However, I was SUPER pumped to leave and I was still fretting about which Pokémon to choose. After a while, I turned back, nodded my head and said,

"Yeah."

Line

Again, sorry this is unoriginal as heck… Other chapters will be longer, by the way. Note that it'll still actually take time to traverse the region, unlike the games, despite this being in the Games category. Review, please!


	2. Registered for the League

I was told that there's a button for the horizontal ruler, so, yeah.

* * *

"You're going to need to go to a Pokémon Center or the professor to get your first Pokémon, and since the professor is the closest thing to us, we'll be heading there," Julie explained to me as we were walking to Sandgem Town. Thankfully, it wasn't very far away from Twinleaf. I wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying. I was lost in thought about what Pokémon I was going to pick. I was wearing a yellow shirt with black shorts, with my sister having identical shorts but a blue shirt.

"Hey, have you decided what to pick yet?" she asked. I snapped back to reality and turned my head to the side to face her.

"No. I was just thinking about that," I responded with a shake of my head. I turned my head back to the path. It was a brown, dirt trail with grass and the occasional tree to the sides. I started thinking about my starter choice again. Her only response was "Hm."

First, there was Turtwig, the Grass-type. Chimchar was the Fire-type, with Piplup being the Water-type. I didn't really have a favorite out of the three, nor did I have a favorite type or anything. I shook my head free of the thoughts. Trying to decide was too frustrating.

* * *

About half an hour later, we arrived at our destination. It only makes sense that it'd take a short time, Twinleaf and Sandgem were practically right next to each other on the map of Sinnoh. Immediately, the Professor's lab came into view beside the sandy beaches of the town. You couldn't miss it. You just… couldn't. The air around it made it so. It had a weird vibe to it. Julie dragged me in without a second thought. Or at least, tried to before the door abruptly opened.

"Hello there." We were greeted by the sight of the Professor right in front of us. I was startled by the sound, and jumped a little in the air. The Professor gave off a stare that seemed cold, and it looked like a glare more than anything. It was really unnerving, to be honest. It just seemed… cold. Fortunately, that was NOT what the Professor was like.

"Hello. My brother here is becoming a Pokémon Trainer. By any chance, could he get his first Pokémon here?" Julie asked the Professor. He raised his eyebrow.

"Hm. Most trainers in Sinnoh don't pick one of the three starters offered to you anymore… It's usually some Pokémon they befriended before their 10th birthday or some kind of gift…" he murmured to himself.

"Well, yes, he can. Just speak to my assistant over there," he instructed while pointing to a tall lady with long brown hair at the back of the lab.

"Thank you," Julie said while bowing. I did the same after having her whisper in my ear to bow.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to leave right this moment." We stepped aside and let him pass.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Julie shouted as she pulled me inside.

* * *

"Wow…" I stared in awe at the inside of the lab. It had all sorts of cool lights, machinery, and Pokémon I had never seen in my life before. Then again, I really hadn't seen many Pokémon in my life. It looked… amazing. All the research that went on here was astounding. I gazed until we reached the assistant the Professor pointed to. She heard our footsteps, and turned around.

"Hm? Oh, are you here to get your first Pokémon?" she asked us with a big smile on her face. It was more of a statement, though.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I replied. She shrugged.

"You two obviously aren't assistants, so that's the only logical conclusion. My name's Mencra, by the way," she answered.

"I'm Julie, and my brother here is Trin," my sister spoke up. The assistant walked over to a nearby table, and opened up a weird thing that looked like some sort of capsule or incubation thing. She drew out three red and white spheres, keeping her smile on the entire time. Poké Balls. Julie had shown me what they look like.

"Alright, here goes!" she exclaimed as she pressed the button on each ball and pointed them to the floor. Out came three flashes of light, which materialized into three Pokémon. I recognized them from posters Julie had showed me. Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup. Turtwig was a Grass-type, and looked like a plant with a shell on its back and legs. Chimchar was mostly red, but had a white face and belly, with a fire for a tail. Piplup was all sorts of shades of blue, with some white on its face and chest.

"So, which one?" Mencra asked. I lowered my head.

"I haven't decided yet," I answered.

"That's fine, take all the time you need to! Just remember, the Pokémon you pick will be the one you'll forge a deep, close personal bond with, so choose wisely! Not that there's a right or wrong answer, of course," she said happily.

"Eeny meeny miny mo, catch a Growlithe by the toe, if he hollers let him go, eeny meeny miny mo," I muttered under my breath while pointing my finger to the different Pokémon. Eventually, my finger landed on…

"Turtwig," I announced. Mencra nodded.

"Alright. Here's Turtwig's Poké Ball!" Mencra handed me the ball, which I shrunk and put on my belt. After that, both Julie and I thanked her, and we were about to walk out the door when she cried,

"WAIT! Oh my Arceus, oh my Arceus, I almost forgot! I'm so sorry, I'm really forgetful and clumsy! Sorry sorry, sorry! I need to give you your Pokédex and a set of Poké Balls!" She seemed really frantic and panicky. Julie sweat dropped.

"Don't worry about it! It's fine, it's fine!" Julie tried to comfort her. Hearing this, Mencra took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself.

"Okay…" Mencra clapped her hands together, "So! Here is your Pokédex, which also counts as your ID so you'll need it to register for things like Contests or the Regional League anywhere, it also holds information about different species, like what moves they can learn, and their types! No doubt useful for a strategic Trainer! It can also show you information about an individual, like what moves it knows. Also, here's a set of Poké Balls, which will allow you to catch wild Pokémon, and carry them around on your journey. Amazing, right?" Mencra showed me different items that were on the same table the Poké Balls were, and then helped me with things like filling out a form so that my Pokédex became my ID.

I had to stuff a bunch of Poké Balls and a bag of discs into my backpack. Julie got a set of TMs, too. I decided to keep my "ID" in my pocket. After Mencra made sure she didn't forget anything else, she sent us off to the Pokémon Center nearby so I could register for either Contests or the Pokémon League. That was after asking Julie what Pokémon she would pick, but then she explained that she was already a Trainer.

"The Pokémon Center has a red roof, you can't miss it!" Mencra shouted while waving goodbye.

"Thanks for everything! Bye now!" Julie shouted back, and the doors slid closed.

* * *

"Every Center is run by a member of the Joy family. You can identify them by their nurse outfit and pink, long hair," Julie explained as we walked inside the Pokémon Center. It was huge, like the Professor's Lab. There was a pink blob running around (I decided to use my Pokédex for the first time, and it said that the name of the species was Chansey), along with the inevitable pink-haired lady.

"So… You can only work at a Center if you're a member of the family?" I asked Julie. She just shrugged.

"Personally, I used to think they dressed up everyone who worked as a pink-haired woman, but that was proven wrong when a pink-haired baby was born when I was waiting for them to finish nursing my Starmie back to health," my sister confessed. I snickered at this remark.

"So what, you just see a room full of pink-haired babies that you walk by whenever you go get your Pokémon back from them?" I questioned. My sister smiled.

"It's happened before." We approached the lady. She greeted us with a smile.

"Hi! How can I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.

"I want to register for the Sinnoh League. Could I do it here?" I replied, trying to mimic what my sister sounded like when she talked to the Professor, whose name was apparently Rowan, as I had learned at this point from my sister's talking as we walked to the Center.

"Alrighty. Are you registering too?" the pink-haired woman in a nurse outfit said as she turned to my sister. Julie just nodded.

"Yup."

"Alright, I need both of your IDs, please." I handed my red Pokédex to her while Julie took out a blue Pokédex that apparently had been in her left pocket the entire time (I was on her right side all this time). We waited a bit, but eventually, Nurse Joy said,

"We're all done. Here are your badge cases, town maps, and sleeping bags. Have a nice day!" Nurse Joy announced with a smile as she handed us two cases for badges, maps of Sinnoh, and two blue sleeping bags, but Julie gave one sleeping bag back saying she already had one.

"Thanks, you too!" Julie said while smiling back.

* * *

"What do we need sleeping bags for?" I asked as we exited the building after somehow managing to put everything in our backpacks.

"In case we don't reach a town or city in one day," Julie responded. She quickly dug out the town map she had received from Nurse Joy.

"Okay, so the closest gym from here is in Oreburgh, so we head north to Jubilife City, then we go east until we reach it," Julie stated.

"Okay," I nodded. We looked at the sun, and then used that to determine what direction was north. We started walking in that direction, leaving behind the sandy beaches of Sandgem.

* * *

"Hey look, there's a wild Shinx!" I shouted. The Shinx was just a few feet away from us in the grassy area we were in, looking off to the side. I had the perfect chance. We had just left Sandgem Town, and were now traversing a REALLY grassy area that continued until we got to Jubilife.

"Should I catch it?" I questioned Julie. She just shrugged.

"If you want to," was her reply. I reached for my Poké Ball.

"Go, Turtwig!" I shouted as the familiar plant-like Pokémon burst forth from the capsule as I threw it. The ball came flying back to me, and I caught it and decided to take out my ID to check what moves Turtwig knew.

"Tackle, Withdraw, Leech Seed and Razor Leaf," I read. I decided to study the descriptions of these moves for a little.

"Alright Turtwig, start with Razor Leaf!" I yelled. Immediately, Turtwig fired countless numbers of dark green leaves from the twig on its head that were as sharp as blades. The unsuspecting Shinx cried out in pain and flew backwards a little. I reached for one of the Poké Balls in my backpack, and threw it.

"Dammit!" I cried as the Shinx burst out almost immediately, ran away, the Poké Ball seemingly disappeared, and my sister gave a look of disapproval with her eyes narrowed.

"…Don't say words like those," Julie rebuked.

"Anyways, it's best to weaken the Pokémon a little more than that. I guess the best way to learn really is experience," advised Julie. Just then, something caught her eye a few feet away in a cluster of flowers. The thing seemed to be... staring at us.

"What the heck is that?" she asked as she pulled out her Pokédex.

"It's called a Litleo, and it's a Normal-Fire type. Guess Pokémon have really been spreading lately, huh? This thing is native to Kalos," my sister said. I readied my Poké Balls.

"I'm going to catch it!" I announced confidently. Julie raised an eyebrow.

"Sure you are, with a Grass-type as your only Pokémon," she mocked sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

"Turtwig, Leech Seed!" I commanded. I was surprised how easily Turtwig obeyed me. Turtwig launched a small, green seed after forming the seed from energy in its mouth, and Litleo didn't dodge for some reason. I wondered if it was because of its pride. Some Pokémon are just like that. Then again, maybe not. It just seemed confused. Like... Like it had never seen a Leech Seed before. It seemed to flinch as vines engulfed it, and a red light started to sap away its energy. It disappeared shortly. I knew that when the red light sapped away Litleo's energy, Turtwig would be healing slightly as well, even if there were no visible means of recovery. I read it in Leech Seed's description in the Pokédex.

For a split second, I thought I saw a visible anger mark on the Litleo's head when it closed its eyes. When it opened them again, it fired scorching flames that were so hot, I could feel the heat. I was quite a ways away from the attack, so that's saying something.

"Dodge!" I yelled in a panic. Turtwig skillfully evaded the move by jumping off to the side.

"Tackle!" I shouted, and Turtwig began running straight at the opposing Pokémon. Litleo jumped over before Turtwig could ram into it, then turned around and glowed with some kind of black color. It then fired a giant black ring from its body. It started out as a small circle with Litleo in the middle, but the ring was constantly expanding outwards, getting farther and farther away from the Litleo and moving towards Turtwig at an alarming rate.

"What the… That thing knows Dark Pulse?" Julie was confused, but I was focused on my battle.

"Withdraw!" I ordered, this time confidently. However, Julie said that it was a bad idea, since Withdraw blocked some damage off of Physical attacks, but had no effect on incoming Special attacks. It was already too late, though. Turtwig was knocked backwards into a tree. My eyes widened in fear.

"Turtwig!" I shouted. However, I soon found myself relieved, as Turtwig got back up after sliding to the bottom. I could see its determination in its eyes… I still wondered how this thing obeyed me so easily. Then I noticed that the red light enveloped Litleo once again. Some of Turtwig's wounds on the back of its head that it got from being knocked into the tree healed a little.

"Turtwig, Razor Leaf!" The leaves flew at Litleo, but there were too many for it to dodge. It tried jumping to the side, but got hit in the process and fell.

It cried in pain as it lay on the ground. I threw the Poké Ball I had been holding this entire time. It flew through the air and hit the Litleo head on. The Litleo turned into white light, was sucked into the ball, and the ball landed on the ground. I waited for what seemed like years. The Poké Ball shook from side to side, over and over again, with the button in the middle flashing red.

DING!

I looked as the red light disappeared and the ball started shaking. Julie, who had been standing off to the side this whole time, started clapping.

"Congratulations, you have your first caught Pokémon," she applauded. She finished clapping and I walked over to the ball to pick it up. I shrunk it, and put it on my belt, just to see how it looked.

"You little PUNK! That catch was mine! DAMN YOU!"

"Excuse me?" My sister started glaring at the newcomer.

"No one talks to my brother that way."

* * *

And we find out why this story is rated T. For swearing! If you haven't noticed, this takes place in an anime-like world, where 1. It actually takes time to get places, unlike the games where you can get eight badges in a couple of hours, 2. Battles are not turn-based, and 3. Starter Pokémon actually know decent moves upon receiving them!

I originally wrote out a whole scene introducing the concept of TMs, but I scrapped it. Next chapter, the newcomer is revealed.

…Funny how this story is on Semi-Hiatus, while PMD: DoD is Active, yet I started this before working on a chapter for that.

…It seriously sucks having to write out Pokemon, hitting the spacebar so Word can put the red line under it, right-clicking and clicking Pokémon, and hitting Backspace three times so I can replace the mon with a dex just to write out Pokédex.

Has anyone else added a bunch of Pokémon names to their dictionary in Microsoft Word? Because I have. I feel silly when I do.

EDIT: ...Exactly how sleepy was I when I posted this chapter? I forgot to add in the horizontal rulers... No matter, they're in now. And Growlithe was (and still is) the only Pokémon I could think of that was close to a tiger and had two syllables. Hm... I still don't know what I'm going to do when I introduce the concept of 4 moves at a time and a move replaces another if you want a Pokémon to learn a new one, blah blah. It'll probably have something to do with the Pokédex.


End file.
